Disgorged May 2023. Like this grower’s Latitude, this is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay (the vineyards are in Cramant, Avize, Oger and Vertus), yet the vineyards have thinner topsoils, and so the vine roots plunge straight into the chalky bedrock. The name here refers to the vertical nature of the geographic locations of the vineyards as well as the style of wine resulting from the chalky soils of these sites, i.e. a more linear, mineral wine. While Larmandier’s Latitude is expansive across the palate, the Longitude is all about minerality, line and raciness. William Kelley has called this wine “one of the finest non-vintage bottlings to be found in Champagne”, and the high ratio of reserve wines (40% from their perpetual reserve started in 2004) should leave you with little doubt as to the quality on offer. This bottling is based on the 2018 vintage, with 40% reserve wine drawn from a ‘perpetual’ reserve started in 2004.

Disg. Apr 2024. Les Chemins d’Avize debuted in 2009. For this cuvée, the Larmandier family vinifies fruit from two tiny plots in the heart of Avize (Chemin de Plivot, planted in 1955, and Chemin de Flavigny, planted in 1960). Both are chalky parcels with very little topsoil and lie on the lower slopes of Avize, not far from Agrapart and Selosse’s La Fosse vineyard. “Initially, it was really tough for the vines to grow here, the soil is so hard,” Arthur Larmandier told us. “Now, they make really, really great wines.” The winemaking is similar to the other cuvées, save for the use of smaller, neutral barrels due to the smaller quantities of wine produced. The wines age in bottle for a minimum of five years and are then disgorged by hand with only 2 g/L dosage. It’s a stunning, racy example of Avize, a little deeper than Terre de Vertus, though more delicate and less fleshy than this grower’s Vieille Vigne du Levant.

The 2018 Marc Hébrart Rive Gauche-Rive Droite Grand Cru Millésime offers a balanced blend of equal parts Pinot Noir from Aÿ and Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. This Extra Brut Champagne, with a dosage of 3 grams per liter, was disgorged in preparation for long-term aging and refinement. More complex and spicier than its 2016 counterpart, this vintage reveals aromas of spices, toast, baked bread, white flowers, and spring blossoms. Medium to full-bodied, it is dense and rich, with a delicately layered fruit core. The palate is well-balanced, concluding with bright acidity and a refined, pinpoint mousse. This 2018 vintage underscores Hébrart’s meticulous approach, offering a Champagne that pairs structure with elegance and the ability to develop further with time. Drinking Window: 2024–2044.

The Selection Brut 1er Cru from Marc Hébrart is fresh and mineral, which excites the tastebuds with its brilliantly acidulous notes. The perfect cocktail champagne. The Marc Hébrart Sélection Brut 1er Cru is made from 70% Pinot Noir from the terroir of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Avenay and 30% Chardonnay from the Grand Cru classified terroirs of Bisseuil and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. For a number of years now Marc Hébrart has applied reasoned viticultural practices to his vines, and makes his wines in small batches in order to preserve the personality of each parcel and each separate terroir. Reviews: 14.5 / 20 Gault & Millau 16.5 / 20 Jancis Robinson 92 / 100 Parker 83 / 100 Richard Juhlin 91 / 100 Wine Spectator 91 / 100 Vinous

Base 2021, Disg. April 2024. Latitude is 100% Côte des Blancs Chardonnay from vineyards on the southern side of Vertus. These vineyards are on roughly the same latitude, hence the name, which also hints at the breadth of texture that wines from these sites—having more clay in the soil—tend to offer. In the cellar, Larmandier uses mostly large casks (almost all the wood now comes from Stockinger in Austria). Fermentation and malolactic fermentation take place naturally, and there is no filtration. Latitude matures in bottle for more than two years before disgorgement and dosage at low, extra-brut levels (in this case, 3 g/L) at least six months before release. This bottling is based on the 2021 vintage, with 40% reserve wine drawn from a ‘perpetual’ reserve started in 2004. Upcoming releases will include fruit from some terrific vineyards in Villeneuve and Bergères, which will only further buttress the quality.

Vintage in Champagne is usually synonymous with excellence for Prestige Cuvées. Contrarily, Laurent-Perrier has always been convinced that only the art of assemblage can offer what nature can never provide: the perfect year. The expression of the perfect year is that of a great Champagne wine that over time has developed a depth, intensity and aromatic complexity, yet maintains its freshness and acidity. To create such a wine, Laurent-Perrier will rely on the characteristics of the great vintage years of Champagne: freshness, structure and finesse. Grand Siècle’s assemblage is based on 3 principles that have now become immutable: -A blend of 3 exceptional years, complementary in character. -A blend with a majority of Chardonnay supplemented by Pinot Noir and selected among 11 of the 17 existing Grands Crus in Champagne. -A blend benefiting from more than 10 years of ageing in the Cellars. Grand Siècle No. 24 is an assemblage of the vintages: 2007, 2006 and 2004. 96 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Disgorged November 2022. Petit Meslier has formed an integral part of Aurélien Laherte’s Les 7 cuvée for almost 20 vintages. One of Champagne’s heirloom varieties, Meslier is a historic cross between Gouais Blanc and Savagnin. Although it has been largely forgotten in Champagne, the Laherte family has remained attached to the grape’s personality and its ability to retain acidity, even in warmer vintages. Between 2014 and 2018, Laherte established a mid-slope vineyard on Chavot’s clay/limestone soils, using massal cuttings from the domaine’s oldest Meslier vines. This wine marks the third release of this exciting project. The grapes are pressed in Laherte’s antique Coquard press, and the juice ferments naturally in old barrel. The wine ages for six months on lees in barrel and then a further 18 months sur lattes. This bottling is based on the 2020 vintage with 40% reserve wines and was disgorged by hand with just 2 g/L dosage (extra brut). When Domaine Didier Dagueneau decided to craft a sparkling wine in Pouilly-Fumé (yet to be released), Benjamin Dagueneau chose Petit Meslier as its hero. From the first glass, it’s clear why Laherte and Dagueneau have decided to put their faith in this unique, forgotten variety. Champagne thrill seekers should not hesitate.